Steve HarveyCleared of Horrendous Child Abuse Allegations

12/20/2013 3:20 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Steve Harvey was accused by his ex-wife and 11-year-old son of brutally beating the boy ... but Harvey's rep tells TMZ the comedian has been cleared.

A judge found Mary Harvey in contempt Thursday and sent her to jail for leaking sealed information about the alleged incident to the media.

As for the incident ... according to a police report -- obtained by TMZ -- Mary claims Steve got a phone call from the boy's school informing him his son lied about turning in homework. According to the kid, Steve hit him with a belt and then a paddle board -- the kind used for hazing in fraternities.

According to the police report ... cops took photos of the boy's injuries, showing bruises on his buttocks and right thigh, as well as cuts on his leg. The police report says the boy told cops, the beating was so brutal he had trouble urinating for days.

The matter was then referred to the Texas Dept. of Family and Protective Services. Steve's rep tells TMZ, the Dept. concluded, "Based on the information obtained, the child does not appear to be at risk ... the case is closed without further investigation."

Mary believes that it's all a cover-up, and she's been on a campaign for several years to expose him. But yesterday the judge had enough and felt she violated the protective order in the case and threw her in jail for 30 days.